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33 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :- Total Horror Fun., 17 August 2004 Author: fibreoptic from England
I watched 'House' back in 1987 when i was 11. I loved it!!! I found it scary and dark and mysterious and funny and i think i've added too many 'ands' to this review already.This is about a horror writer (Roger Cobb) who is working on his next book about his experiences in the Vietnam War. His Aunt seemingly has committed suicide and has left the house to him in her will so Roger goes there to work in solitude and is bothered by ghosts and his next door neighbour. He also has to find his lost son who went missing in that house many moons ago.This is excellent, it truly is. The title is simple but effective and unlike Amityville we see the nasty things that lurk in this house. The video cover is nice too, really eye catching. Roger sets out on a mission to kick ass. Not just the evil ghosts within his house and beyond but his own personal demons. I love that scene where his ex wife turns into that fat monster thing and he blows her away and....well i don't want to spoil it for anybody but it's awesome. The eighties was by far the best for movies especially horror and sci-fi. We won't see movies like this ever again. GOD DAMN YOU Hollywood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'House' is awesome straight from the spooky beginning (did i tell ya that this movie is well spooky?) to the twisty horrible shocking end. Go watch this magnificent film straightaway! Did i say that the comedy is kick ass? The comedy is kick ass! 10/10
17 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :- Underrated, 18 March 2005 Author: boomcar61 from United States
'House' stars William Katt as Roger Cobb, an accomplished novelist who moves into his creepy aunt's house after her suicide. In bits and pieces, the audience discovers that Roger once lived in the house, as well, along with the aunt, Roger's wife, and their now-missing son, Jimmy. Roger believes that Jimmy is trapped somewhere in this mysterious house, which just happens to be some sort of portal between past and present dimensions...I think? Anyway, the audience becomes involved, well, at least myself and the rest of my company became involved, and you start to feel for this poor guy who has really sorry luck...in all areas. Roger, our tattered hero, has the pretty neighbor Tanya, who likes to come and swim in his pool, and who ALWAYS catches him at the worst times. Then he has the nosy neighbor Harold, played by George Wendt, who might be out to exploit him or may just be generally concerned. I don't know. Then there is the neighborhood dog who likes to dig up Roger's "saplings"....Overall, I find this to be a fairly underrated little horror movie. It's definitely one of Steve Miner's more innovative attempts, and the music, reminiscent of the F13 music and performed by the same man, Harry Manfredini, is thoroughly haunting. Also, most importantly, the acting is believable. Major points for that. None of this movie is hokey. It could have been...but it wasn't. 7/10 is my vote.
17 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :- lotsa fun, 11 October 2001 Author: dgarts from Toronto
I had to make a comment simply because most of those I've read have missed part of the point.William Katt is an author dealing with a number of emotional challenges all at the same time. All these things start fraying at his psychological health; he's not coping well.What's haunting him most of all is the guilt he feels over an incident while he was serving in Vietnam. His buddy is wounded, and requests that William kill him, but William runs "for help" and his buddy is captured, to suffer torture as a POW.His ordeal at this time in his life that we watch through the movie is his final process of dealing with that guilt.Along the way, we are treated to that unique genre of horror-comedy. And, make no mistake, it is both funny and frightening.The difficult thing is the direction, which tries to suggest that what he sees (and what we, the audience see) is not what others see. These things are presented so as to fool him, and us, into thinking they are in fact "real." By the time we get to the end, we see what the real deal is.It's not perfect, but it was fun.
13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :- "Horror has a new home.", 11 February 2002 Author: Backlash007 from Kentucky
House is an inventive, original eighties horror comedy that has built its foundations on a thin line between laughs and scares. And I love every minute of it. The Friday the 13th team (Steve Miner, Sean S. Cunningham, and Harry Manfredini) strikes again. Even Kane Hodder (Jason) does some stuntwork. The story and the script are both great thanks to Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad) and Ethan Wiley (House II). Steve Miner succeeds in creating the atmosphere of an old house and in finding a likable cast as well. The cast includes William Katt (Carrie) as the unlucky lead Roger Cobb, George Wendt (Normie from Cheers), and Richard Moll (Bull from Night Court). My favorite cast member is probably the house itself. It's perfect, I think they made it just for this movie. The effects and makeup are great for the eighties. Skeleton Big Ben is awesome. One standout scene is Roger and the mini-demons playing tug-a-war with the little boy Robert (Miner's own kid). The score, by Manfredini, is highly similar to that of Friday the 13th, but I love still love it. House is a well put together, underrated horror movie. If you're going to buy a house this year, make it this one.
11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :- Good chills and laughs, 12 April 2001 Author: Aaron1375 from Alabama
This is one of my favorite haunted house stories and comedy horrors. The characters are likeable and so is the story. The plot follows William Katt as he encounters many strange things in his old aunts home. His kid has been missing for some time and he is seperated from his wife. He has an annoying neighbor played by George Wendt who does an excellent job. What is behind all the weird stuff going on in the house, well I won't give it away, but just watch the flashback scenes and you will figure it out. Especially the last one that he actually acts out.
14 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :- House thrives!, 20 February 1999 Author: Roger-59 from Liverpool, England
House was a marvellous excursion in the world of Horror Comedy and gave many people a glimpse of how to combine humour, drama and frightfully good scares. This classic movie deserves to be discussed and remembered for as long as films are made.
10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :- A bit of a letdown in the horror department, but a good movie anyway..., 10 March 2005 Author: Chromium_5 from Minnesota
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
The first 20 minutes or so of "House" are very intriguing, and it seems like it is shaping up to be a classic horror film. Unfortunately, right when you've come to that conclusion, the horror comes to a screeching halt and it turns into a kooky comedy. It's as if the director set out to make a serious psychological horror, but decided it was too hard and completely shifted moods for the rest of the movie.Once you can accept this, however, it is very entertaining. Roger Cobb is quite the interesting hero--the way he deals with the demons in his house is very odd, but hey, it's nice to see someone fight back in a horror movie for once. The middle of the movie is just crazy (but fun), and the last third is very, very good. The eerie scene where he is descending by a rope into what is apparently Hell itself is a classic horror movie scene, in my opinion. And the climactic ending with the zombie commando is too awesome for words.This isn't a true Horror movie by any means, but rather silly 80s cheese--but in that sense, it is the best of its kind. 8/10 stars.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- A really enjoyable mix of light horror & comedy that works quite well., 3 April 2005 Author: Paul Andrews (poolandrews@hotmail.com) from UK
House starts with an elaborate shot of a large Californian mansion, the camera starts around back and in one continuous free flowing shot circles the house eventually resting on a delivery boy (James Calvert as Jimmy Calvert) pulling up outside on his moped. He walks up to the front door and as he knocks it opens. He calls out to the owner Mrs. Elizabeth Hooper (Susan French), he says he will leave the groceries on the table but still does not get an answer. He feels uneasy & starts to look around the house. After going upstairs he finds Elizabeth dead, seemingly having committed suicide by hanging herself. Elizabeth's nephew Roger Cobb (William Katt) is a Vietnam Vet, successful novelist who is currently struggling to write his new book about his experiences in Vietnam & is recently divorced from television actress Sandy Sinclaire (Kay Lenz) after their young son Jimmy (Erik & Mark Silver, identical twins maybe?) had disappeared without a trace while at the house. Roger decides to stay in his Aunt's old house to get away from things & concentrate on his novel. Almost immediately strange & bizarre occurrences start to happen, Roger sees the ghost of his Aunt who warns him to leave & when he opens a closet is attacked by a slimy monster. Things become worse as Roger is attacked by flying garden tools & fat ugly monsters, Roger starts to investigate the house & becomes convinced that the answer to finding his lost son lies within if he manages to survive! Directed by Steve Miner I thought House was an entertaining & modest little comedy horror. The script by Ethan Wiley based on a story by Fred Dekker mixes the horror & dark humour quite well, it keeps the film moving along at a nice pace although one or two sections dragged a little. Things aren't tied up that well though, the haunted house goings-on are not explained at all, was it just Ben using the house as revenge or is the house really haunted? And what connection does Ben have to the house in the first place? House isn't a sadistic film in terms of violence & gore but there is some here & a few fun looking monsters, I especially liked the fat female creature in her pink dress & Big Ben's (Richard Moll) rotting zombie make-up is reasonably impressive & he makes for a cool bad guy. William Katt makes for a likable hero & George Wendt's nosey neighbour Harold Gorton is very funny even though he isn't in the film that much. None of the other characters are developed that much. Technically the film is OK, nothing outstanding but nothing too bad either except the Vietnam flashback sequences that were obviously shot in a cheap looking studio set. The special effects, while their a little cheesy & aren't exactly going to impress anyone too much these days are watchable enough. Overall I liked House's fun mix of horror & comedy, it's a decent enough way to pass an hour and a half & you could do a lot worse. Definitely worth a watch.
7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- This House is a very, very fine house with one corpse in the yard., 8 July 2003 Author: Son_of_Mansfield from Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
I like the music in this movie. It adds a spooky atmosphere and then in the middle "You're No Good" and "Dedicated to the One I Love" are played. Now, that is funny. Nothing says "let's bury the body parts of my gigantic, demonic, purple clad, ex-wife" quite like those tunes. This movie has a fine sense of goofy humor hit home by capable actors. The scene where George Wendt's Harold meets William Katt's Roger (ha ha) is amusing in it's realistic awkwardness. I love the smile that Roger's grandmother gives the police and the scenes with the little boy are surprisingly innocuous. You get to see a flying deadite a year before Evil Dead II and a spry corpse that would have kicked Bud's rotten can. This movie reminds me of Cherry Falls in the way that it comes so close to being just another scary movie, but can't be discarded so easily. The fact that the director, Steven Miner, had directed Friday the 13th part 2 and 3 makes you respect this movie even more. Watch for Dwier Brown(Mom and Dad Save the World, House 2: The Second Story) as a soldier, Mindy Sterling(Frau Farbissina!) as an annoying fan, Steven Williams(Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday) as a cop, and Michael Ensign(Titanic, Ghostbusters, and Doctor Hackenstein!) as the realtor. Richard Moll(Bull from "Night Court" and Two Face from "Batman: The Animated Series") lends his gruff voice in a memorable turn as Big Ben, while William Katt(Carrie) is a sympathetic lead.P.S. This is a childhood favorite that I am amazed to still like and I recommend it to lovers of the obscure.
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- The Greatest "B" movie ever!, 15 March 1999 Author: Watson-3 from New Jersy, USA
I have never been so entertained by a low budget horror before. This is the only genre pic that I can watch time and time again. It's such a mix of suspense, comedy, and clever plotting, with a central character you really care about. Only down side, are the effects. Otherwise, a terrific little flick. The Citizen Kane of the "B" movie! :)
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